Fallout: Gotham
by supercasey
Summary: DCU Fallout AU. In which Bruce Wayne and Slade Wilson are unlikely partners and find an orphaned baby in a half destroyed Vault. Will these two men be capable of raising a child all by themselves, or are they out of their league? Rated M for future themes.
1. Preview

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Preview: Vault 18**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." ~Carl Sandburg.**

* * *

"Hold on a little longer, Mary!" John begged, holding onto his wife's hand as if it were a lifeline. "Please, we need to wait! We can't have the baby _here_!"

"John, I can't stop it!" Mary screamed, her voice drowning out the Raiders from outside. "Oh God, John, it's coming! It's coming!"

"I know, Mary! Just hold on a little longer!" John pleaded, panic flooding his brain with paranoia and stress. "Doctor Haley, can you deliver the baby here? We can't wait any longer!"

"I-" A bang from outside made Doctor Haley freeze, the doctor's eyes widening. "I'll do my best! Help me get her on the bed. Quickly now!" The two men both picked Mary up off the floor and placed her on a medical bed. "Alright, now go boil some water in the kitchen and get towels from the closet! I'll see about the child."

"Hurry, Doctor Haley!" Mary begged, clutching her round stomach with a horrified expression. "Oh God, the baby! I'm going to lose my baby!"

"Please calm down, Mrs. Grayson." Dr. Haley ordered, pulling on a pair of pink rubber gloves. "If you panic too much the baby could be born too hastily!"

"My baby will die either way!" Mary screamed, looking as if she were losing her mind. "I'm going to lose them to monsters from the Wastes!"

The doctor didn't bother answering Mary, too busy trying to get the table set as Mary already started trying to push the baby out. "Shit!" Haley exclaimed, poking his head into the room John was boiling water in. "Bring the water and towels; I don't care if the water is ready or not! Mary is delivering early!"

John nodded, grabbing the burning hot pot off of the burner without any gloves on, pure adrenaline keeping him from screaming or dropping the pot as he ran back to Doctor Haley, the towels draped over his left shoulder. "I'm here, Mary!" He promised, coming to Mary's side after setting the pot down on a table. "Don't worry, I'm here! I'm not leaving you!"

"They're gonna break down the door!" A nurse, from the far end of the Vault's clinic, warned in a terrified tone of voice. "Doctor Haley, we don't have much time!"

"Hold on, Mary's baby is coming!" Haley yelled back, focusing again on Mary as the baby started to finally come out. "Easy, Mary. Breathe and push!"

In a matter of minutes, the baby was in the doctor's arms, hurriedly being washed off as John and Mary both tried to calm down, the clinic's main door being banged on excessively not far away. "It's a boy!" Haley promised, giving the child to Mary. "What do you want me to do?"

For a moment, Mary simply stared at the baby boy, as if she couldn't believe that this tiny human being was her's and had been birthed from her. But after a minute or two passed, she smiled a bit, her baby not yet opening it's eyes as she turned back to John, then to Doctor Haley. "Go get one of the medical wrist bands and write 'Richard G' on it for me, then bring it here."

The doctor obeyed the once pregnant woman, clipping the band around the baby's wrist himself as the child was handed back to him. "Mary, wh-" He was cut off as the door to the rest of the Vault was finally broken down, only one door left blocking the Raiders from the doctor and young couple.

"Hide him." Mary ordered, tears beginning to stream down her face as she watched the doctor tuck a yellow blanket around the newborn baby, before hiding him in a storage closet. "Thank you, Doctor Haley... we can never repay you for this."

"I only hope you can forgive me, Mary." John begged, hugging his wife close as bangs erupted on the door to the room, making the woman begin to sob, mainly to drown out the baby's crying. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, John. It was never your fault." Mary promised, closing her eyes as the doors broke down, the Raiders flooding in like hyenas.

* * *

"If we hurry, we'll get there first." Bruce informed his partner, walking ahead of the older mercenary at a fast pace. "I don't want to be late for this, Deathstroke."

"I know, I know. Shut your damn mouth, Wayne." Deathstroke ordered, earning a harsh over-the-shoulder glare from Bruce. "We'll get there in time, don't worry."

"We can't afford to keep losing these supplies, Slade." Bruce explained, not looking nearly as relaxed as the other man. "If you don't recall, last time a Vault opened, you got us damn near killed."

"It was us or them, Bruce. Really, the Vault was no good to begin with. Nothing but Feral Ghouls in there when it finally opened." Deathstroke pointed out, hands up in fake surrender due to Bruce's obvious agitation. "Wait... is that smoke?"

Bruce squinted at the huge pit they'd been walking towards, noticing the big, dark smoke clouds rolling steadily out from within a small door in the pit's inner wall. "That's the Vault... Vault 18." He claimed, staring at it with an almost amazed expression under his T-51b powered infantry helmet. "Come on, if we're lucky we'll actually find something useful... looks like Raiders beat us to it."

Deathstroke shrugged, unfazed by the possible loss of resources. "Figures. Damn Raiders are addicted to Vaults. They're full of innocent Dwellers... crazy bastards." Bruce, in response, made no comment on Deathstroke's history with Raiders. He just kept running.

The two scavengers of the Wastes stepped lightly as they hurried down the large slope leading towards Vault 18, looking to have been abandoned rather quickly. The two were dead quiet as they walked into the open Vault, the stench of death and blood thick and heavy in the building. Without a word, both men searched for a medical ward, after all, if they could find some Stim-Paks, the adventure would've been well worth it. It wasn't long before they found it, the front door to the clinic having been torn down by the looks of it. Like the entryway of the Vault, the floors were splattered with the guts and blood of Vault Dwelling nurses and doctors, the walls coated in their bloody hand-prints.

Though they doubted there was anything left of value, both Bruce and Deathstroke trudged on, finding another once barricaded room. The bedroom was by far the most gruesome, a dead doctor on the ground, two bullet wounds in the head, severed from it's body along with the doctor's arms and legs. Two other Dwellers were in similar states, though looking to have been more tortured. As Deathstroke inspected the bodies for gear, Bruce searched more thoroughly around the room, until he found what appeared to be an untouched closet. From the other side, Bruce could just faintly make out muffled crying/sobbing, sounding like it belonged to a baby or child. With a nod to Deathstroke, Bruce pried open the door.

Inside, Bruce found a yellow baby blanket wrapped securely around a squirming form. The crying had become almost deafening, and even Deathstroke stopped to stare at the small package as, very delicately, Bruce picked up the bundle and peeked inside, almost gasping as he came face to face with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. The baby was most clearly a newborn, probably born right before, or even more tragically, during the invasion of Raiders. Poor parents, Bruce thought, staring down at the infant with pity. Pretty shit way to enter the world, only to lose the only family you've got and left to starve to death, or much worse, shredded by Raiders and their dogs. Bruce held the crying infant, ignoring the stern look Deathstroke was throwing him from under his mask.

"Absolutely not." Deathstroke deadpanned, watching intently as Bruce so delicately held and rocked the bawling baby, trying to end it's cries and suffering. "We are not taking a newborn with us. What would we even do with it?"

"Shut up." Bruce ordered, completely ignoring the mercenary as he gazed down at the baby. "Hello there." He whispered, rocking the baby further. "My name is Bruce. What's your's?"

"Do you really expect it to-" Deathstroke was cut off, Bruce in one full swoop yanking a bent up can off the floor and chucking it with more force than was necessary at the man.

"Ignore him. Here, let's just check if you're a boy or a girl." Bruce decided, setting the newborn down on an empty medical bed, pulling open the blanket to find the baby completely naked underneath. "Looks like you're just a little boy, huh chum?"

"Lovely." Deathstroke rolled his only working eye at Bruce's affectionate behavior towards the baby, rubbing his head where the can had struck him. "Now put it back and let's go, before those Raiders come back."

"Raiders never strike twice, Slade." Bruce reminded the mercenary, pulling off his helmet to smile down at the little baby boy. "We can't just leave you all alone, huh? Would you like to come with us?" He asked the baby, not waiting for an answer before re-wrapping up the baby and heading for the door. "You coming, Slade?"

Deathstroke groaned aloud, glaring wholeheartedly at his partner. "Fine." He agreed, following after the fellow Wastelander. "But only because you'll get yourself and the kid killed if I'm not around." He muttered, trying not to come off as protective as he really was.

Bruce saw through it though, but didn't comment, too busy trying to keep the baby calm and safe from harm's way. "Hey, what's this?" He asked himself, and maybe Deathstroke, pulling out the baby's arm from the bundle to read a small wristband on the child's little arm. "'Richard G'?"

Deathstroke peered over Bruce's shoulder, which wasn't hard, considering he was much taller than the other Wastelander. "Richard? He has a name?" He inquired, a bit surprised by this fact. Most abandoned kids didn't come with names if they were just infants or newborns.

"Guess so." Bruce replied, holding Richard close as he and Deathstroke emerged outside of the huge Vault. "We should head for a town... maybe a shelter town for now. Somewhere we can get baby supplies, diapers, bottles, anything that might work."

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Deathstroke appeared not nearly as surprised as one might expect, but maybe it was the fact that he'd had kids of his own, once upon a time ago, before he'd met Bruce and before he'd become a mercenary.

"We can't leave him to die, Slade. He may not be our's, but... dammit, I can't just LEAVE him. It isn't right. And I know a lot of things aren't right up here, in the Wastes, but maybe, if we keep doing this, being the good guys... we can change things for the better." Bruce explained, staring off into the distance, like the star of a pre-war movie. "So, yes, I'm serious."

Deathstroke watched Richard for a moment, unable to hide his smile as he lifted his mask off his face, eye meeting the baby's sea blue pair. "... I'll stay then. Unless, of course, you fire me. Who knows, a kid might be useful once he's grown. Can teach him to pickpocket pretty early on..."

Bruce chuckled, smiling down at Richard with a teasing glimmer in his eyes. "Ignore him; he's a bad influence." He promised, eyes lighting up more as the baby giggled in response. "Looks like he likes us, Slade."

Deathstroke shrugged, not nearly as convinced, but he still found it hard to hate the baby. It was nice seeing something in the Wastelands that wasn't entirely hopeless. "I'm giving him a nickname, though. Richard just isn't cutting it for me."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, before glaring at Deathstroke. "What's wrong with the name Richard? I think it's a perfect name for a boy. If anything, you're the one who needs a nickname. I've never even heard of the name 'Slade' before I met you."

"That's why people usually call me Deathstroke." Deathstroke muttered, obviously peeved that his employer/partner rarely used his professional name. "I'm thinking something simple for this kid, something that will stick... how about 'Robin'?"

"And where, exactly, did you come up with that name?" Bruce asked, voice drowning in monotone sarcasm. "That's a terrible name for a baby, much less a boy baby. Robin is a girls name, in-case you haven't figured that out by now."

"First of all, I heard it once and liked it. Second of all, shut up." Deathstroke ordered, gently taking 'Robin' from Bruce's grasp, holding the baby against his rather shredded armor. Something pure against something tainted. "You like that nickname, don't you, Robin?"

The baby only blinked up at Deathstroke, before grinning, a tooth-less smile gracing his face in the most adorable way. Deathstroke secretly wished he had kept his mask on, if only to hide the smile that crept onto his face as a reaction to Robin's. "I think he likes it, Bruce."

Bruce rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide the fact that the silly nickname suited Richard. Robins were small, before the war killed them all off, but still, Bruce had seen them in picture books as a child in the Vault, and thought it fitting that Richard shared their name. "... We'll see." He replied after a few seconds passed, leading the way out of the pit. "Come on, we need to find a town before nightfall."

Deathstroke nodded, pulling on his mask as Bruce clicked on his helmet, following after the shorter man, Robin held protectively against his chest. "Right behind you, sir." He muttered, almost doing a fake salute, but decided against it in favor of trekking after his partner in both crime and justice.

It was going to be a long trip home... but they had each other for company.

* * *

 **A/N: In honor of Fallout 4 being officially announced, allow me to start a new fic series. Updates should be on Fridays. I'll post the Preview and 1st Chapter tonight, and more will hopefully be on the way without delay.**

 **~Supercasey.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Chapter 1: Old Friends**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **"Babies are always more trouble than you thought — and more wonderful." ~Charles Osgood.**

* * *

"Do me a favor and don't say 'I told you so'?" Bruce requested, rocking the baby as it bawled endlessly into the nighttime Wastes.

"Will do." Deathstroke gritted out, holding his travel pillow securely over his ear as he rested on his side, biting back the urge to crush Robin into a bloody little mess.

"To be honest, maybe I should've expected this sooner." Bruce admitted, trying to drown out Richard's cries with a conversation with Deathstroke. "We should've looked for more supplies in that Vault before we left, maybe grabbed a few diapers or something."

"Is that what's causing all this? I thought the world was ending." Deathstroke joked, but it was made clear that he wasn't in a very good mood, teetering dangerously on the very edge of his patience. Sure, he'd had kids before, but that was back when he'd been a Raider, where it was the lowest ranked group of grunt's jobs to watch the clan's babies.

"I think so... FUCK!" Bruce swore, holding the baby away from himself as his chest was assaulted by the child's urine. "Of all the bad luck... Slade, please hand me a towel. Preferably one you're not too fond of."

"Here. Now shut that kid up before I feed it to wild dogs." Deathstroke ordered, tossing the towel blindly at his partner. "Have you tried feeding it yet? I'm no mother, but I think it might be hungry."

"He might be, but we don't exactly have mother's milk available." Bruce explained, cleaning both himself and Richard up with the old towel Deathstroke had given him, tying it around Richard's bottom to be used as a diaper. "There. Let's hope this works until we find a town."

"IF we find a town. Frankly, I don't trust your gut." Deathstroke admitted, realizing he'd get no sleep that night before he rolled onto his back, arms behind his head as he gazed up at the pitch black sky.

"Yeah, well, maybe you'll trust my Pip-Boy." Bruce muttered under his breath, struggling to read the screen of his Pip-Boy while rocking Richard at the same time. "Says here that we're a few hours from a local town called Dixon. What do you say, Slade? Willing to lose some sleep to try and make it to Dixon by dawn?"

"Better than listening to this damn kid cry." Deathstroke decided aloud, standing up and stretching, pausing as he grabbed his Super Sledge off his pack, giving Bruce a concerned look. "Stay down... somethings on the move out there."

Bruce nodded, knowing that the baby's crying was attracting unnecessary attention. Careful not to jostle the child, Bruce very slowly crawled behind some cover, Richard held tightly against his chest. The man's breathing was labored, adrenaline making breathing a rather hard endeavor. Deathstroke, meanwhile, stalked a little ways from the campfire, trying to pinpoint where in the Hell the possible threat was. Almost too fast for him to catch, a large Yao-Guai tackled Deathstroke to the ground, but the man was ready for it, slamming the beast with his Super Sledge once he found enough room. The Yao-Guai collapsed under the assault, though Deathstroke did not cease his attack until it laid dead in a bloody mess.

"Coast is clear... just a Yao-Guai." Deathstroke promised, keeping his eye on the Yao-Guai, just in-case he was wrong and it was still alive by some miracle. "It's dead."

"Good." Bruce answered, keeping Richard's face pressed against his chest as he approached, as to keep him from seeing the dead carcase of the animal. "God, you really shredded it, huh?"

"Did you expect me to let it just pass by? None of us have the Animal Friend Perk, in-case you haven't noticed the three or four times you were bitten by wild dogs." Deathstroke sassed back, gripping his Super Sledge with alarming strength.

"... Guess you're right." Bruce agreed, after a few minutes of contemplation. "We should just go, in-case there are more Yao-Guai nearby."

"Good call." Deathstroke muttered, eye locked onto the cold, dead Yao-Guai. "I'll lead the way... I'm not letting any Raiders see you with Robin. They'll go for the baby, even if we're here with him."

"Understood." Bruce replied, following behind his mercenary as the twosome continued their hike across the Wastelands.

* * *

Once the twosome made it to Dixon, it was almost daylight, being around 6:37 according to Bruce's Pip-Boy. Deathstroke carried their luggage, mainly being bags of random gear they'd scavenged out of Vault 18. The air was humid in the town, with most if not all of the buildings tall and sturdy, it was made clear that the town had been around for a long, long time and was probably a richer town than most. Bruce led the way for Deathstroke, carrying Richard securely in his gloved grasp. A few people stopped to stare, eying the tiny infant in Bruce's cradled hands, but didn't comment, too intimidated by Deathstroke to dare speak up. Content to be left to his own devices from the townsfolk, Deathstroke made off to sell their extra goods, leaving Bruce with the baby.

A large sum of extra caps in his pockets, Bruce carried Richard to a nearby wooden stand, with several random items on it's surface. Behind the counter was a lanky, average sized man, with a dark red Raider hood over his face and eyes, though it was very clear that the man was in no way a Raider of any kind. Hell, Bruce doubted the guy could hurt a fly, there was just something honest to God good about him that made Bruce almost want to trust him, like he was a good person. Shoving these thoughts aside, Bruce focused on the matter at hand: finding supplies to take care of a baby with. He chimed the tiny bell that was planted on the table, catching the shopkeeper's attention.

"Hello, and welcome to... Bruce?" The man questioned, looking Bruce over from behind his mask. "Oh my God, is that really you!?"

Bruce didn't know how to respond, until the voice filtered in old memories, both blessed ones and ones he'd hoped to forget. "Barry!?" He asked, amazed by his discovery.

Barry threw off his mask, assaulting Bruce's vision with fiery red hair and hazel brown eyes. "It really is you! It's been forever, how ya been, man? ... And when did you have a BABY!?" He gave Richard a wide-eyed look.

Bruce sighed, looking exhausted. "This is Richard. I and my hired mercenary found him in what was left of Vault 18 yesterday morning... he'd just been born a few hours before we showed up. Thank God you weren't there, Barry. Raiders must have gotten into the Vault when it opened... nothing but blood and body parts everywhere."

Barry whistled, impressed by Bruce's tale. "What a way to enter the world. Any idea if his folks made it out?" With a head-shake from Bruce, Barry sighed. "Damn... things just keep getting worse around here. Oh, what am I saying? I'm guessing you're here for supplies? Say no more, I'll give you half-off since you're a friend. I'd give it to ya for free, but I'm low on caps and I can't afford to just give stuff away."

"I completely understand." Bruce replied, just glad that he had Barry's assistance in the mess he knew he'd gotten himself into. He grabbed several clothe diapers from a box, along with two empty baby bottles, three pacifiers, and a teddy bear. "This should be fine. Any idea where I can buy some baby's milk or formula?"

Barry nodded as he rung Bruce up, taking the caps Bruce offered and storing them in a well-locked safety deposit box under his station. "Yeah. You remember Clark, right? Well, he's in town right now. He's staying in a house with blue walls and a green roof. Can't miss it. He and his wife had a baby a little while ago, but... it's best Clark told ya rather than me. Good luck to ya, Bruce! And thanks for stopping by! Next time I see ya, I'll buy ya a drink!"

"Thanks, Barry. You're a big help." Bruce promised, carrying Richard to a public changing table near the town bathrooms, changing Richard into a proper diaper before beginning to carry him towards where Deathstroke was selling some gear to a different shopkeeper than Barry. "How's bartering going for you, Slade?"

"Fuck off." Was Deathstroke's only explanation, his single, icy eye locked onto the shopkeeper across from him, hating her with every fiber in his being. "I'm telling you, these Pip-Boy's are worth far more than one hundred caps each."

"Hm..." The girl took this into consideration, giving Bruce the chance to analyze her. She had long, orange hair, sharp brown eyes, and wore an old, black leather biker jacket. When she turned to grab a large bag of caps from behind her counter, Bruce caught a glimpse of the brown hawk wings imprinted into the leather jacket's back. "How about one hundred and fifty per Pip-Boy?" She asked Deathstroke, suddenly eying Bruce. "Wait just one minute here... aren't you Bruce? Bruce Wayne? From Vault 32?"

"Do I... know you?" Bruce asked in return, looking the strange woman up and down, trying to figure her out. He'd recognized Barry instantly, as the red-head had always been very animated and hard to miss, but this woman...

"It's me: Shayera!" Shayera exclaimed, arms wide as she glared at Bruce angrily. "How can you not recognize me!? We used to read Grey Ghost comic books together!"

"Shayera!" Bruce shouted, eyes widening as he remembered who she was. "By God, I haven't seen you since the team split up! Seems like everyone from the Vault is here... is Diana-" Shayera cut Bruce off with a sad shake of her head. "... Oh." Was all he whispered, clearly disappointed.

"Am I missing something?" Deathstroke inquired, looking from a disappointed Bruce to a slightly less depressed Shayera. "Because it seems you two know each other."

"We're from the same Vault, wise-guy." Shayera snarled, giving Deathstroke an unimpressed look. "What's with the merc, Bruce? You really need THIS guy watching your back?" Although she was facing Deathstroke, the question was obviously for Bruce.

"It's a long story." Bruce announced, rocking Richard as the baby began to squirm. "So how have you been, Shayera? Still taking on Super-Mutants without a second thought?"

"Hey, that was only once, and if you don't recall, I won that fight!" Shayera reminded the other Vaultie, though a smirk on her face hinted that she was fond of the memory. "So what's the story behind Junior here?" She inquired, pointing at Richard.

"I found him yesterday in Vault 18. The entire facility was attacked by Raiders before I and my mercenary could arrive, and Richard here was all that was left alive." Bruce explained, running his hand over the baby's head as he spoke.

Shayera smiled at Richard, reaching over the counter of her shop to playfully ruffle the tuft of raven hair on the boy's head. "Poor kid. What can ya do though? Hey, mercenary-" She pointed her question towards Deathstroke, who glared at her in response. "-Hey, we got a deal or what?"

"I hate you." Deathstroke determined, but nonetheless accepted Shayera's caps as he sold off the extra Pip-Boys from Vault 18. "You better not have stiffed me, ma'am. I WILL count how many caps you've given me."

"I would assume so." Shayera replied smoothly, winking at Richard as she smirked at the giant mercenary. "Take care of my Vault friend, 'kay? He may act all tough and cold, but he's a real sweetheart underneath. He won't last out there without a friend to lean on."

"I take offense to that." Bruce declared, even as Deathstroke grabbed him roughly by the arm to hurry away, not wanting to deal with Shayera anymore than he had to. "I've survived this long, Shayera. I'm sure I'll do just fine."

"Just don't let your guard down, kid." Shayera ordered teasingly, waving goodbye to Richard as Bruce and Deathstroke headed off towards Clark's house.

* * *

As soon as they got to Clark's house, both Bruce and Deathstroke were assaulted by a five to six year old little boy with a sharp jawline, crystal blue eyes, and chaotic black hair. The boy grinned excitedly as he ran circles around the pair of strangers, who were too baffled to do anything about it. The child had on a red and blue striped T-shirt, blue shorts, and a red baseball cap from before the war. Deathstroke gave the toddler a confused once-over from behind his mask, shooting Bruce another confused glance after the boy ran back inside of the household Barry had earlier said was Clark's. Shrugging, Bruce led the way, stepping onto the front porch and stopping at the door to knock as he handed Richard over to Deathstroke to carry.

"Hello?" A woman with long black hair and cloudy blue eyes answered the door, accompanied by the child from before. "So I'm guessing you two are the 'Giant Strangers' my son's been talking about?"

"Um... is Clark Kent living here?" Bruce asked, not knowing what to say. Was this the wife that Barry had mentioned? "My name is Bruce Wayne, and Barry pointed me here to find him..."

"Oh! Bruce Wayne! Yes, Clark lives here with me and our son. Please, come inside. Clark has told me so much about you! My name is Lois by the way." The woman promised, her smile wide as she beckoned for Bruce and Deathstroke to come inside. "Don't mind the mess, I'm just in the middle of some spring cleaning right now."

"Thank you." Bruce replied, coming inside with Deathstroke. The two immediately sat down on the living room couch, not knowing where else to go. "I hate to be rude, but do you know where Clark is right now? I need to talk to him."

"He's out Molerat hunting. Don't worry though, he's usually back in the afternoon. Make yourselves comfortable and I'll get you two something to drink." Lois suddenly stopped, eying Richard in Deathstroke's arms. "You two have a baby!? Oh, well, I think I have some breast milk in the fridge if your baby is hungry."

"That'd be good." Deathstroke muttered, answering for Bruce, not that his employer minded much.

Once the woman had left, Bruce and Deathstroke shared a sigh. From behind the couch, Clark and Lois' son tiptoed over to the side of the couch, eyes wide as he stared up at Deathstroke. "What are you looking at, kid?" Deathstroke asked, giving the boy a harsh look.

Bruce elbowed his mercenary. "Be nice. He's just a toddler." He ordered sternly, taking Richard from Deathstroke's grasp to hold.

Deathstroke growled, but nonetheless kept from threatening the boy. The child grinned up at the mercenary, making Deathstroke uncomfortable. "You're tall." The boy whispered, amazed by this newcomer's size. "You're tall like Daddy."

Deathstroke simply shrugged, not sure whether or not he should try to interact too much with someone else's kid. "Well, you're pretty short." He muttered, earning a small glare from Bruce, but nothing more than that.

The toddler giggled excited, crawling onto the couch to sit on Deathstroke's lap, making the man even more uncomfortable. "Daddy says I'm gonna get real tall though, so you better watch out!" He warned, sure of this fact.

"Conner!" Lois scolded, returning to the living room with the guest's beverages. "Don't pester our guests, dear. You know better."

"He wasn't bothering me." Deathstroke lied, not wanting the kid to get in trouble just because he was curious. "He was just chatting with me."

Conner's face lit up, glad to find that the stranger was on his side. "Yeah!" He agreed, not about to let himself get in trouble. "He was jus' tellin' me about his adventures!"

Lois wasn't entirely convinced, but she let it slide. "Well... if you both say so." She eventually decided, turning to hand Bruce the baby bottle of breast milk and a Nuka-Cola, handing the other Nuka-Cola she had to Deathstroke. "I'll be cleaning upstairs if you need me."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality." Bruce thanked, earning an appreciative hum from Lois as she left to go about her work.

In the meantime, Deathstroke pulled off his mask, giving Conner a small smirk. "Adventures, huh? You want to hear about what shenanigans I've gone through?" Conner nodded excitedly, eyes wide with wonder. "Well, a few years back..."

* * *

 **A/N: I got this chapter done. Hope you all like it so far!**

 **~Supercasey.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Chapter 2: I Owe You**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **"Every baby needs a lap." ~Henry Robin**

* * *

"Lois, I'm home!" Clark Kent warned as he entered the house, stopping dead in his tracks as he surveyed the scene.

Sitting politely on the couch was Bruce Wayne himself, an infant on his lap as he tried not to fall asleep on the comfortable cushions. Beside Bruce was a tall, well-armored man with short, scruffy blond hair, an eye-patch over his right eye, and a pale face. On the stranger's lap was Conner, who was fast asleep with the stranger. Clark almost intervened, not wanting his boy anywhere near a stranger, but stopped as he saw Bruce sit up, snapping to full consciousness as he recognized Clark. For a moment, neither spoke, before Clark ushered Bruce to follow him out of the room. Careful not to wake up Conner or Deathstroke, Bruce followed, Richard fast asleep in his arms.

"How are you alive?" It probably wasn't the best thing to ask first, but Clark was still trying to figure out how Bruce was even there. "Back in Gotham, when the team split up... I thought you were dead, Bruce."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Bruce teased, but sighed, looking down pitifully at the baby in his arms. "I've been on the road for a few months now. That man on the couch is my mercenary Deathstroke. Don't worry, he won't hurt your son. I came here for help." He handed Richard to Clark, who held him with ease, used to a baby's weight in his arms. "I found him orphaned in Vault 18, Clark. His mother is dead, and I have no way to feed him. Barry pointed me here to get some help with that."

Clark nodded, eyes brimming with tears as he watched Richard sleep. "Me and my wife Lois... we were planing to have another child, a little brother or sister for Conner to play with. But... she had a miscarriage. We lost a daughter. She's still lactating, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind one bit, just... are you sure, Bruce?" He gave Bruce a steady look, eyes full of worry. "A baby isn't all that easy to take care of, not in the Wastes at least. Why don't you settle down here? Almost everyone is here, and we've got plenty of space-"

"-Clark." Bruce interrupted, locking eyes with the older, taller man. "You have your life and I have mine. You remember why the team split up, right? I wasn't safe to be around without the risk of someone getting hurt. I'm not good at staying where it's safe. Besides, I have a mercenary watching my back now adays." He nodded his head in the direction of the living room, a wiry smile on his face. "As tempting as it sounds, home life just isn't for me. I'll visit, mind you, but I can't stick around."

Clark sighed, nodding his head in defeat. "Kinda knew you'd say no, I just... figured you might've changed your mind by now. Scavenging is no good of a life, but if it's who you are... I can't keep you here against your will." He chuckled under his breath, a smirk on his face. "'Sides, I'm pretty sure mister 'Tall-And-Blond' in there could kick my ass."

"What about kicking ass?"

Both Clark and Bruce turned to the kitchen doorway to see Deathstroke, leaning heavily on the wall as he held Conner over his shoulder, the toddler still passed out. "Um... don't hold him like that." Clark suddenly ordered, obviously uncomfortable with a merc he didn't know handling his son. "Here, I can just hold him." He bravely stepped forward, carefully taking Conner from Deathstroke's arms.

Deathstroke made no effort to keep Conner from Clark, knowing firsthand how discomforting it was to see other Wastelanders anywhere near his own, much less handling them. The mercenary, knowing he was the elephant in the room, wisely stepped beside Bruce, as to pretend to be guarding him in order to fit in. "Please forgive him: Slade doesn't mean you or your family any harm. We just need mothers milk. Then we'll leave you be." Bruce explained, sensing the lingering aggression from Clark towards Deathstroke.

Clark nodded, but still appeared wary. "I'll go discuss this with Lois, after all, it's her milk we're giving away. I think it's about time I put Conner down for a nap." He hurried upstairs with Conner in tow, leaving Bruce and Deathstroke downstairs with Richard.

"Sorry." Deathstroke muttered, catching Bruce off-guard. Deathstroke rarely apologized, much less for intimidating strangers. "I didn't mean to make you look back in front of your friend."

"It's nothing. Clark's just protective of his son." Bruce explained, giving Deathstroke an encouraging smile. "You were protective of your kids, right? He's just nervous."

"I don't blame him or anything." Deathstroke assured Bruce, not wanting his employer to think he was offended by Clark's reaction. "Trust me when I say I know a thing or two about not trusting strangers. I'm just saying I'm sorry for making the atmosphere tense."

"Well, I appreciate it." Bruce promised, adjusting Richard in his hold, smiling down at the newborn. "How're you doing down there, Dickie? You need a change?"

"Dickie?" Deathstroke repeated, a teasing note in his voice. "And here I thought Richard was a 'Perfect Name' for a boy."

"Shut it." Bruce ordered, looking around curiously. "Any idea where the restroom is? I think Dick needs to be changed."

"Beats me. Why not ask Clark?" Deathstroke suggested, shrugging as he watched Bruce scurry around the kitchen, looking for another hallway in the house.

"Found it!" Bruce called, after locating the bathroom down a hallway. "Wait there, okay? I'll be done in a minute."

Deathstroke sighed, looking around idly. The kitchen was well taken care of, not to mention well furnished. The mercenary walked around a little, looking for something to distract himself with. He soon re-entered the living room, admiring in silence the photographs that were framed in the living room. There were no family photos of Clark, Lois, and Conner, as film was damn near impossible to find along with cameras, but there were a few noticeable pictures. There was one of a boat at sea in the middle of a terrible storm, one of a man standing on a dock facing the vast ocean, and one of a teenage boy climbing high up into a tree. But by far, the most beautiful framed picture was a large, browning map of Europe.

"Like it?" Lois asked, catching Deathstroke off-guard as she came to stand beside him, admiring the map alongside the mercenary. "Clark and I found it a few months ago in an old army base. Clark always talks about going there one day."

"That would be a sight to see." Deathstroke muttered, not nearly as dedicated towards such a goal as Lois and Clark. "I doubt there's much left of it. Out of all the countries, America got hit the least: we had the most bombs."

Lois hummed, nodding her head in agreement. "You're not wrong. If anything though, I think Europe is about as well off as us. They probably have their own Wastelands to worry about."

Deathstroke simply nodded, not knowing how to reply. Thankfully, Bruce then entered the room with Richard in tow, the baby now changed into a clean diaper. "Aw, Bruce." Lois greeted, coming to stand before the man. "Clark and I discussed it, and I think we have plenty of mothers milk for you and your partner. I'll go get a few bottles for you, alright? Sadly, we think we only have a few days worth at most. Are you planing on staying in town for awhile? If you do, I can guarantee I'll have more milk for you."

Bruce swallowed, looking nervous, before he nodded his head in acceptance. "I suppose I and my mercenary can rent out a house nearby. We've been needing a safe place to stay anyways. What do you say, Slade? Are you alright with staying here for a few days?"

Deathstroke looked from Bruce to Lois, then back at Bruce. "It's your choice. You're my employer, remember? I don't have much of a choice of what we do or don't do." He reminded the man, shrugging. "I'm sure you'll make some use of me while we're here, either way."

"I think we will then." Bruce announced, a small smile on his face.

Lois smiled too, glad to have more friendly faces staying nearby. "That's wonderful news! I'll go tell Clark. I'm sure he'll be happy to know that his old friend is staying in town!" She went back upstairs, once again leaving Bruce, Deathstroke, and Richard alone.

Deathstroke leaned over to Bruce, appearing uncomfortable. "Do you really mean that?" He asked curiously, as he knew how hard it was to turn down a happy, expectant face. "I'm not saying I'll argue with you over it, but are you really sure about staying here?"

"Slade, we have an infant with us." Bruce pointed out, watching Richard fall sound asleep in his arms. "We can't afford to run around the Wastes doing odd jobs without endangering Richard. We'll get back on the road eventually, but let's not turn down this good of an offer while Richard's a baby."

"Good point." Deathstroke agreed, giving Richard an almost sad smile. "He's a lot cuter when he's asleep and not screaming bloody murder."

"I agree." Bruce whispered, as to not wake the baby. "I just hope things go to plan."

"Do they ever?" Deathstroke wondered aloud, but didn't press the issue.

* * *

That night, Bruce was awoken by a hand shaking his shoulder lightly. At first, the Vaultie thought it was Deathstroke, but his eyes widened curiously as he recognized the shadow above him to be Barry. The red-head gave Bruce a wide grin, his hood pulled off as he stood over the once sleeping Wastelander. Clark had allowed Bruce and Deathstroke to stay the night, with Deathstroke more or less claiming the couch and Bruce lying on the floor. Richard, meanwhile, was upstairs in a crib in Conner's room that had once belonged to the toddler. Bruce yawned as he sat up, rubbing his russet eyes as he blinked up at Barry, utterly confused as to why the taller man had awoken him at such an awful hour.

"I said I'd buy ya a drink, didn't I?" Barry asked, giving Bruce a playful smirk as he helped the other Vaultie to his feet. "But I guess you should change first... Clark lend you some pj's?"

"Shut up." Bruce muttered childishly, blushing as he looked away. Clark had given him some of his old pajamas, but they were a bit big on the other Wastelander, making Bruce look much younger than he was.

"Aw, lighten up. I'm just teasing." Barry assured Bruce, waving off Bruce's embarrassment like it was nothing. "I'll be outside with Clark, 'kay?"

Bruce nodded mutely, trying not to look at Barry as he pulled off his pajama pants, replacing them with torn, brown pants that he'd scavved a few months back. He then threw off his nightshirt, trading it for a white, dirty T-shirt, along with a black leather jacket to go over it. He sighed, running a hand subconsciously through his messy hair. He glanced at Deathstroke, who was out cold, and decided against waking the mercenary up. He would be fine on his own, besides, it wasn't like anyone other than his friends knew who Bruce was. Still a bit tired, Bruce headed out the front door and onto the porch, immediately being greeted by Clark, Barry, and a recently arriving Shayera.

"It's like we got the whole gang together!" Clark declared once Bruce came outside, an exaggerated grin on his face. "Gosh, I forgot how nice it was to have everyone here."

"Diana's not here." Bruce whispered, not wanting to speak too loudly. His words were followed by an awkward silence. Shayera coughed, drawing attention her way.

"Not to mention John and J'onn." Shayera muttered, a bit louder than Bruce. She wasn't afraid of awkwardness like he was.

"But we've got most of us!" Clark reminded everyone, desperately trying to lighten up the mood with his smiles and laughter. "Come on, Barry's buying us drinks, remember? Let's go have some fun! Just like old times!"

Bruce wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Clark, but he nodded nonetheless. Hugging his jacket more around his body, Bruce followed after Clark and Barry, who were in the lead, with Shayera standing by his side. The order brought back memories, but it wasn't quite right- Diana used to be leading the way, not Clark. Bruce didn't comment though, too desperate for normalcy to argue against Clark and Barry's new leadership. Shayera didn't say anything either, although it was clear that she and Bruce were more or less in the same boat when it came to feelings towards the old team. The red-head was dead quiet as she walked beside Bruce, keeping him company while Clark and Barry chatted idly.

The whole town was glowing with soft lights, candles in every windowsill and torches lining the dirt paths. Bruce looked around curiously, finding that while the town was quiet at night, there definitely was an underlined 'night life' when the sun went down. A diner near the town's east entrance was still open, and across from it the local bathrooms were also still free to use. Bruce followed Clark and the others into the diner, keeping his head down as they all sat themselves down at the bar. The only other patrons were a drunk, passed out hobo at the corner of the bar, and a traveling Wastelander who was also passed out, this time in a booth, with a mutated dog lying asleep at his feet, occasionally wagging it's tail in it's slumber.

"Howdy, folks." The bartender greeted, a young man in his early twenties. "What can I get y'all?"

"I and my red-headed friends will have three beers. The quiet guy'll probably want a whiskey. That alright with you guys?" Clark asked, shooting the group a questioning look.

"Fine by me." Both Barry and Shayera said in unison, exchanged an exaggerated glare with each other afterwards, making Clark chuckle.

"I... that would be nice." Bruce agreed, voice still painfully quiet as the bartender went into the diner's fridge and got out their drinks, handing them out politely.

"Ring me up if ya need a refill!" The bartender ordered, before escaping to the backrooms of the diner, leaving the patrons in peace.

"So how's it been, Brucy? Still blowing the heads off Raiders?" Barry asked, trying to start up a conversation with Bruce.

"... I suppose so." Bruce muttered, sipping quietly at his whiskey. "I haven't run into any Raiders in a few days though."

"Thank God." Shayera announced, giving Bruce an encouraging grin as she downed her beer, her eyes tired. "Raiders are nothing but bad news."

"Yeah... hey, Bruce, ya know, your mercenary kinda looks like the Raider type." Clark commented, causing Bruce to stiffen. "What's the story behind him, anyway? He gives me the creeps when I'm around him."

"He's just... distant." Bruce provided, looking extremely uncomfortable with the topic of Deathstroke's past. "I ran into him a few months ago, and hired him. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You sure? It seems like there's more to this than you're letting on about." Clark decided, giving Bruce a glare. "There something you ain't telling us?"

"I assure you, Deathstroke isn't a Raider." Bruce promised, voice a bit uneven. He wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep, but that would mean going back to Clark's place. "He left that all behind years ago."

"So he WAS a Raider!" Clark pointed out, looking infuriated with Bruce. "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me that! Now there's some Raider in my house, with my wife and child! He could be delivering them to a clan of Raiders as we speak!"

"Shut up!" Bruce's voice hadn't gotten that loud in a long time, and instantly, Clark went quiet, eyes wide in terror at the sudden change in his old friend. "Deathstroke is in no way a threat to you or your family! For God's sake, Clark, this is one of the reasons I left! You always jump to conclusions!" He downed his whiskey, damn near shattering it on the counter as he set it down, standing up and heading for the door. "I never should have expected you to change, Kent."

Bruce left the diner in a hurry, beginning his walk back to Clark's place. Before he could get very far though, Shayera was once again by his side. "What do you want?" He asked a little too harshly, a sharp glare on his face.

Shayera gave Bruce a sad look, before sighing and shaking her head. "Look, just... if you still need a place to stay, you can kick it at my place for the night. There's enough room for you, Deathstroke, and your baby."

Bruce paused, turning to look at Shayera. "I... are you sure? I should really leave town, Shayera. Clark's rather good at holding grudges, and I'd hate for you to get into trouble here. You have a good place here. You deserve an easier life."

Shayera rolled her eyes, giving Bruce a small smile. "Screw that! Besides, Clark's... he won't hurt you or me, that I can promise you. He may be an asshole sometimes, but he'd never hurt any of us. And I'm planing on taking off anyways. This place is too boring for me, and I think Barry's gonna come with me! We're gonna go looking for John, Bruce."

Bruce smiled then, chest growing warm at the idea of Shayera finding John. "I hope you find him. I'll go get Deathstroke and Dickie, alright? And... thank you, Shayera. This means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it, kid." Shayera teased, watching the Vaultie run off to Clark's place to get his own team back together.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter to help get this story up and running! I've got a pretty good idea where this'll be going, and I'm ahead of schedule with my writing, so let's all just hope for the best! Please R &R!**

 **~Supercasey.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Chapter 3: Everyone Has a Past**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." ~Franklin P. Jones**

* * *

"Get up." Bruce ordered, voice harsh and strict. "We're leaving."

Deathstroke groaned, burying his face into the couch more. "Right now?" He asked jokingly, hoping against hope that this was all just an unpleasant dream.

"Yes. Right now." Bruce replied, more shaky this time. He hurriedly began packing up his things, wanting to be gone before Clark got home.

"Alright, alright." Deathstroke mumbled, sitting up with a loud, almost explosive yawn escaping his mouth. He stretched, before clicking on his helmet, followed by the rest of his armor as he tried to wake himself up more. "What's the hurry?"

"Clark and I had a... disagreement. It's best we leave before he gets home." Bruce explained, handing his backpack to Deathstroke to strap to his left arm. "Hold this. I'll go get Richard."

"What did you two disagree about?" Deathstroke asked, following Bruce upstairs as the man crept into Conner's room, delicately taking Richard out of the crib. Thankfully, the newborn was still fast asleep.

"It's... he thinks you're a Raider." Bruce admitted, after a time. He held Richard close as he left the room, leading the way downstairs to the living room.

"Excuse me?" Deathstroke stopped, giving Bruce an almost scared look. "... Can't blame him. I'm not exactly the 'peaceful father' type. So, he thinks I'm going to kill his family while he's asleep, huh? Should've known the man was the paranoid type."

"It's good to be paranoid, just... Clark almost always takes it the wrong way. You have to understand, Slade, Clark has gone through a lot of shit. He's lost a lot of important people in his life." Bruce explained, looking sick at the various memories. "But, yes, Clark is definitely stepping out of line with his accusations. He's convinced you're out to get him."

"Then let's just go. I don't want to cause anymore tension between you two." Deathstroke offered, following Bruce to the front door.

As soon as Bruce opened the door, he found a guilty looking Clark Kent waiting for him, giving Bruce a sorry look. "Um... hello, Clark." Bruce muttered awkwardly, looking pointedly at the ground. Richard, meanwhile, made grabby hands at the other man as he awoke, gurgling gibberish at him.

Clark nodded, looking defeated. "... I'm sorry, Bruce. I had no right to start throwing accusations at you like that. I just miss the good old days, ya know? Back when everything was simple and fun and happy."

Bruce quietly decided to ignore the fact that he and Clark obviously had very different views of how the team had once been. Instead, he simply nodded, holding Richard close as he moved past Clark out the door. "Thank you for that apology, Clark. However, I still think it's best if I and my team left. Thanks for giving us a place to stay for the day."

"You're welcome, Bruce. Come back again someday, okay?" It wasn't exactly an order, but Clark made it sound like one.

"... We'll see, Clark." Bruce decided, continuing down the dirt path with Deathstroke not far behind.

"Alright then... bye." Was all Clark replied with, before escaping back into his house, leaving Bruce and Deathstroke to trek away to Shayera's house for the night.

* * *

"It's not as big as Clark's place, but it'll do in a pinch." Shayera promised as she threw some more blankets onto the floor, making a bed for Bruce while Deathstroke took the couch, Richard balanced on his stomach.

"This means a lot to us, Shayera. Thanks again." Bruce replied, helping Shayera as he stacked his own spare blankets on the floor, handing Richard's baby blanket to Deathstroke to wrap Richard in. "I'm sorry we're here on such short notice."

"Pfft!" Shayera made a raspberry-like sound, waving Bruce's apology off. "It's no problem, Bruce. We used to be teammates after all. Any friend of mine is welcome."

"Still, thank you." Bruce insisted, before lying down on the finished blanket-bed, throwing one of the said blanket's over himself with a tired sigh. "Goodnight, Shayera."

"Goodnight, Bruce." Shayera offered, turning off the lamplight in her living room before walking down the house's hallway, towards her bedroom.

The night settled once Shayera's bedroom door closed. All was quiet, with the exception of the Radroaches scuttling on the roof and the soft buzzes of Bloatflies outside. Bruce buried his head in his pillow more, trying to drown out the near-silent undertone of noises. He hated it when the night was restless, but to be fair, it was even more unsettling when it wasn't, because it more often than not meant trouble was very close by. The Wastelander sighed in exasperation, rolling over in an attempt to get comfortable on the barely cushioned flooring of Shayera's living room. No wonder she'd insisted on so many blankets being used as bedding. Just when Bruce was considering lighting a lamp and staying up to read for the night, he heard Deathstroke shift, getting onto his elbows to stare down at his employer, Richard now asleep right beside him instead of on his chest.

"You're restless." Deathstroke stated, voice a husky whisper, as to not wake the baby. "You alright down there? We can switch if you want. Robin won't know the difference."

Bruce shook his head, barely able to see Deathstroke in the pitch black room. "I'm alright. Thank you, Deathstroke. That's nice of you, but I'll be fine down here."

Deathstroke rolled his one good eye, setting Richard temporarily on the floor as he quietly stood up, coming to stand over Bruce. Bruce stared up at Deathstroke, russet eyes wide as he wondered if Deathstroke would kill him or not. It seemed unlikely, but Bruce was almost as paranoid as Clark sometimes. Instead of killing or kicking the Wastelander, Deathstroke lifted Bruce off from the floor, one arm under his knees, the other under his upper back. Bruce opened his mouth, ready to gasp, but the wind was knocked out of him as soon as Deathstroke dropped Bruce onto the couch. Thankfully, the noise wasn't loud, and Bruce was able to regain his breath quickly as he panted, still surprised by how Deathstroke had picked him up with little warning, before he sighed. It wasn't like this was the first time he'd been picked up by him.

"There-" Deathstroke muttered, lying down on the floor-bed as he set Richard on his chest, glad to see that the baby was still fast asleep. "-Now go to bed." He ordered, tossing a blanket at Bruce to keep warm with.

Bruce sighed, but nodded his agreement, adjusting on the couch as he wrapped himself in the blanket, falling asleep only a few seconds later, the noises outside becoming a somewhat pleasant white-noise.

* * *

"You really wanna go so soon?" Shayera asked the next morning over breakfast, this time discussing this matter with Deathstroke.

Shayera, Deathstroke, Bruce, and Richard were gathered in Shayera's kitchen at her table for breakfast, having warm Molerat meat and Sugar Bombs. Bruce had yet to eat his breakfast, focusing on bottle-feeding Richard, while Deathstroke and Shayera conversed in-between bites of their own breakfasts. Shayera had quickly found out that while Deathstroke seemed like a rather frightening mercenary, the guy was pretty decent once you got him talking and had a soft-ish personality under his rougher exterior. It was quaint, in a strange sort of way, but Shayera liked talking to the mercenary. He reminded her of Diana, back when she'd still been around, and it made Shayera feel just a little bit less like a stranger in her own home.

"I think so." Deathstroke admitted, glancing at Bruce, who was trying to hide the fact that he was quietly cooing at the baby. "Unless of course Mr. Wayne here decides any different." He rarely called him 'Mr. Wayne', but it felt more respectful in front of strangers.

"Well, I've heard that a guy by the name of Lex Luthor is looking for some mercenary's to give him a hand. He's in a town a few days north from here, you can't miss him." Shayera explained, wanting to help them as much as she could. "Although, I'd be careful. I've heard some pretty shifty things about Luthor."

"I think I've heard of him before." Deathstroke muttered, trying to jog his memory of who the man was as he picked at his food subconsciously. "He helped found the town of Benton, right?"

"That'd be the one." Shayera agreed, finishing off her Nuka-Cola with a sigh of content. "I have to admit, I'll miss having Bruce back and you around to talk to. But hey, maybe I'll run into you both while me and Barry are out looking for John?"

"I hope so." Deathstroke decided, before finishing his own breakfast, standing up to set his empty bowl in the sink. Once he had, he went to Bruce's side, holding his hands out expectantly. "I'll finish feeding him. You eat: you can't be skipping meals."

"If you say so." Bruce complied, handing Richard to Deathstroke as he began hurriedly eating his breakfast. "Just be careful with him."

Shayera watched, a goofy smirk on her face as she tilted her head at the two unlikely partners and their baby. "You two make for a cute couple." She announced, chuckling at the oddly domestic scene of Bruce eating and Deathstroke rocking Richard.

Bruce choked on a mouthful of Sugar Bombs while Deathstroke's single eye widened in horror, a dark blush of crimson embarrassment on both of their faces. "We're not together!" They both insisted at the same time, exchanged a disbelieving look afterwards.

Shayera laughed outright. "Cute." She commented, earning a double-glare from the embarrassed men.

* * *

"Well, THAT was humiliating." Deathstroke grumbled childishly, following Bruce to the public bathrooms with a scowl under his mask. "Why does everyone automatically think we're in a relationship?"

"I don't know, maybe we seem like a couple in their world, which, really, is ridiculous." Bruce explained, laughing it off. "Alright, hand me Dickie so I can change him."

"Wait, don't you have him?" Deathstroke asked, eye going a bit wide as he began to sweat nervously, looking around before Bruce could even reply. "Don't play games with me, Wayne. Seriously, where's Robin?"

"I asked you, didn't I?" Bruce inquired, becoming nervous as he joined Deathstroke in scoping out for the baby. "Stop joking around and tell me where you put Richard!"

"I-" Deathstroke stopped, looking past Bruce with horror under his mask, shaking slightly at the sight. "... Oh shit."

"What?" Bruce turned around, freezing beside Deathstroke as he too saw what Deathstroke was looking at. "... Goddammit, all."

"Fancy seeing meeting you boys here." Joker cooed, the Raider holding Richard on his hip. He was wearing a disguise, making it hard for anyone who didn't know him first hand to recognize him as a Raider. "Is this adorable little thing your's?"

"Give. Him. Back." Bruce gritted out, hands turning into fists at his sides, his arms shaking with the energy it took to keep himself from attacking Joker. "I thought you learned your lesson about coming anywhere near me the last time we met, or do we need to have that talk again?" Behind him, Deathstroke cracked his knuckles, sending Joker a sharp glare so cold it could very well freeze an ocean.

"We did have a funny conversation awhile back, didn't we?" Joker asked himself, no longer even addressing Bruce as he looked to Richard for an answer. "What ya think, Junior? You think me and your Daddy need to have another wrestle?"

Deathstroke stepped forward, ready to move in, but stopped as he noticed that Joker was surrounded by several other Raiders in disguise, all with guns under their trench coats. "I think me and Junior here should get going pretty soon. Wouldn't want him getting taken by the wrong people, right?" He started to head for the town entrance, Richard balanced innocently on his hip. "I'll be seeing you around, Batsy!"

It took an unimaginable amount of self-control to keep Bruce and Deathstroke from charging after Joker as he and the Raiders left the town, a gun pointed to Richard's head to keep them from following after the Raiders. "I'll rip his lungs out." Deathstroke growled, shaking with his anger. "I'll tear him limb from limb until there's nothing left of him but blood and guts."

"This is all my fault. If I had kept a better eye on him... Goddammit!" Bruce punched one of the public bathroom's port-a-potty's, looking angrier than an irritated Yao-Guai. "We're going after them. If we don't, he'll kill Richard by nightfall."

"Then let's go." Deathstroke prodded, already heading for the town entrance Joker had escaped through, but stopped when he realized that Bruce wasn't following. "... Aren't you coming? We can't let them take him, Bruce! I won't let Robin end up like I did."

"We can't take them all by ourselves." Bruce argued, but stared at his feet, conflicted. "Clark might come... but he might trying shooting you or pressuring us into re-forming the team. Barry and Shayera would come in a heartbeat, but they haven't been out in the Wastes in so long... I doubt they'd last against them. If only we had more back-up..."

"Hey-" Deathstroke called for Bruce's attention, grabbing the Wastelander by the shoulders roughly. "-We've faced worse than this, haven't we? We fought the Enclave, other Raiders, radiated Ghouls, Deathclaws... we can take a few Raiders."

"... You're right." Bruce agreed, holding up his Plasma Pistol as he nodded his head at Deathstroke. "I'm sorry I ever doubted our... partnership. I guess being here made me forget that I've gone solo before. I don't need twenty friends behind me when I have you."

"... Okay, now I can see why people think we're together." Deathstroke announced, pulling up his mask enough to show Bruce a small smirk. "Now let's go get our son back."

* * *

"I'm baaaaaack!" Joker sing-songed as he entered the underground Raider caves, Richard held easily in his arms as he kicked the door open.

Immediately, the Raider leader was assaulted by the rest of his gang, who all eagerly reached for Richard, wanting to tear the boy apart. "Wow, boss. Ya brought us a present!" One man claimed.

Joker rolled his eyes, holding Richard away from the other Raiders. "Now, now, boys. This is no ordinary catch we have here. In fact, this boy is gonna come in handy very soon!" He carried Richard onto a large pile of broken, crushed-up cars, holding the baby up over his head.

The other Raiders all exchanged confused looks, staring up at Joker expectantly. "Uh... why don't we just kill 'em like we did those Vaulties the other day?"

Joker laughed outright, shaking his head. "As much as I love the feeling of blood and guts on my hands, pissing off dear old Batty is soooo much more fun!"

The Raiders gasped, surprised. "That kid is the Bat's kid!? I thought he was with that huge mercenary fuckhead!"

Joker shrugged. "Maybe Batsy is a woman." He supposed, making the Raiders all laugh. "Either way, this is sure to make him run around like a looney! Harley!"

As soon as her name was called, a young, blonde woman with bright blue eyes came bounding in, giving Joker an over-exaggerated grin. "Yes, sweetums?"

Joker handed Richard to Harley, rolling his eyes at her. "Harley, baby-doll, put the kid with the other little rats in the kids room, got it? And get to sorting that ammo!"

Harley flinched, but eagerly took the baby from Joker. "Y-Yes, sweetums... I'll get right on it." She hurried off, leaving the room before Joker could say anything else.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Harley blew a raspberry behind her, glaring into the main room where Joker was still horsing around. "Jerk." She muttered, before smiling happily down at Richard. "Hello there, 'lil buddy!" She cooed, grinning at the little baby. "What's your name?"

Harley grabbed the boy's arm delicately from the blanket bundle, surprised to find a name-tag already on the boy's little wrist. "Richard G, huh? That's a cute name! I'm just gonna call ya Rich!" She snuck the boy into a backroom, placing him down on a pillow while she started to stuff some supplies into a bag. It looked as if she'd been packing this bag for some time. "Don't you worry about a thing, Rich! We don't gotta stay with mean ol' Mister J anymore! Ya see, my pal Red is gonna help us make a run for the border, see? I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I brought you along for the ride! I've always wanted a baby of my own..."

She scooped up Richard once she'd pulled her backpack on, squeezing herself and Richard out of a hole in the cave's backroom ceiling, escaping into the open Wastes. "Come on, Richie." She cooed again, giving Richard a hopeful look. "Let's go find Red and get outta here!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It seems all these people are gonna be giving Bruce and Slade the run around here... we'll just have to hope things work out for them in the end! Please R &R!**

 **~Supercasey.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Chapter 4: Hideout**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." ~Stacia Tauscher**

Tracking Joker down, in retrospect, was not nearly as hard as they had imagined it could be. After all, you never knew what would happen if you chased after the infamous Joker Gang of the Illinois Wastelands. Sometimes you would find them within the hour, and they would be fairly easy to take down, but other times, they would do absolutely infuriating things that would send your mind for a loop. Apparently, that was the sort of game Joker was playing at with Bruce and Deathstroke. He had literally left a trail of tin cans leading from the town to the front door of his underground hideout. Unfortunately, it was absolutely flooding with Raiders that were all rigged with grenades and unafraid of throwing themselves at the duo and blowing themselves up.

"Remind me to rip Joker's head off once this is over," Deathstroke ordered of Bruce, reloading his Laser Pistol with a look of frustration on his masked face, sweat dripping out from underneath. He was getting overheated. "I mean it, Bruce. I'm going to rip that clown a new one by midnight. Mark my words."

"I'll keep that in mind," Bruce decided, trying to ignore the seering burn on his left arm, making his skin bubble as the plasma ate away at his skin. "When in God's name did the Joker Gang get plasma weapons!?" He turned slightly in the ditch he and Deathstroke were guarding themselves in, peeking up enough to use his sniper rifle to take down one of the mini-gun wielding Raiders.

"I'm not sure, and I don't care to find out," Deathstroke admitted as he sat up on his knees, aiming carefully to conserve ammo as he disintegrated three more Raiders, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. Unlike his other aches, it wasn't being caused by an injury. "Any idea how many Raiders are in this place?"

"There's no telling how many. Just keep your eye out for Joker- if he's out, then they're running out of man-power!" Bruce explained, more experienced than Deathstroke when it came to fighting off the Joker Gang. He and his old team had fought them more times than the Vaultie could count.

"Ooooooh, Batsy~!" Joker called out, and both Bruce and Deathstroke turned to look up at where Joker was, standing on a tall Raider's shoulders. "Lookie what I got~!"

"RICHARD!" Both Bruce and Deathstroke boomed, seeing a small blanket bundle in Joker's arms, held almost delicately in his hands.

"That's right! If you want him, come get him!" Joker ordered, tossing the bundle straight into the air, the bundle soaring towards them.

Everything seemed to slow down. Deathstroke was out of the trench before he could think, bearing himself to get shot at as he leaped into the air, catching the tiny bundle. At once, the Joker Gang fired off at the mercenary. Deathstroke bit back a primal scream, taking bullet after bullet as he curled in on himself, trying to protect the bundle. He peered his eye open, looking at the bundle, only to see that it had fallen apart, and a dead baby Molerat was inside! All at once, Deathstroke was filled with an unholy rage. He ripped the blanket apart as he jumped up, charging the Raiders. Bruce broke out of his stupor then, jumping out of the trench to help Deathstroke as the duo began mowing down the Raiders.

Off to the sidelines, Joker and a few higher-up Raiders snuck off, sprinting away from the battle-field while the other Raiders were torn to bits by the angry fathers. After about twenty more minutes of slaughter, the duo finally killed off the last Raider, standing with labored breaths as they stood surrounded by the results of their attack. Almost immediately, Deathstroke collapsed, too tired and hurt to move. Bruce panicked, falling to his knees as he rolled the injured mercenary onto his back, prying off his chest armor to check his wounds. He had at least four bullets in him, a few laser burns, and a nasty plasma burn on his left leg. Really, it was a miracle that he was even alive!

"Slade, take deep breaths!" Bruce ordered, falling into a leadership role with ease as he pulled out his first-aid kit, sticking Stim-Paks in Deathstroke without a second thought. "You should be able to walk in a few more minutes! Just stay on the ground and don't move; let the Stim-Paks heal your wounds," The Wastelander stood up, looking towards the shredded blanket and dead baby Molerat. "Looks like Joker tricked us... we need to search the base; Richard might be inside still!"

Deathstroke groaned, in a terrible amount of pain as he struggled to stay conscious long enough to get mobile again. "If he's even alive in there... that was an idiotic move; I should've known it was a decoy. I just..." He trailed off, wheezing under his breath.

Bruce ran a hand over the mercenary's chest, trying to sooth him. "Easy, Slade. Stay put, alright? I'll be right back. I need to see if there are any traps inside before we look for Dickie."

With Deathstroke taken care of for the time being, Bruce stood up on shaky legs- he was hurting pretty bad, but not as bad as Deathstroke was- and started for the hideout's door. He stepped carefully, surprised when he found no traps upon entering the front door. The entire place screamed Raider Hideout- body parts everywhere, dead bodies hung by hooks and chains from the ceilings, chems and drugs scattered like candy across every flat surface, and trash in every conceivable hiding spot. The Wastelander was careful as he found a backroom, with supplies still in decent condition stacked up in boxes along the walls, like someone with a slightly more healthy mind had organized them.

Looking over the boxes, Bruce wasn't surprised to find that almost all of the gear, chems, weapons, and ammo were from Vault 18. The Joker Gang must have been the Raiders to gut out Vault 18 for all it had. Bruce sighed, shaking his head as he emptied out the various crates and boxes, storing a good amount of Stim-Paks and other pieces of gear into his bags. Suddenly, Bruce found a small letter with the envelope unsealed on a crate marked 'CHEMS'. Hesitantly, the Wastelander pulled out a small note from inside the envelope. Before he could even begin to read it, however, in came Deathstroke, who was using his Super-Sledge to keep balanced as he came to stand beside Bruce.

"What's that?" Deathstroke asked, raising an eyebrow at the letter in Bruce's hands. "Did someone leave that in here?"

"I guess so..." Bruce muttered, clearing his throat before he began to read the letter aloud to himself and Deathstroke. "Dear... Sweetums?" He blinked at Deathstroke, who only widened his eye and shrugged in confusion. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I've decided to run away. I'm tired of your poor treatment of my person, and how you lack respect for me and all the work I put into taking care of you and everyone else in this damn hideout. Well, I'm through! From now on, you can do your own damn laundry and organize your own damn supplies! I'm taking this baby and running away! I won't tell you where I'm going, but I want you to know that you'll never find me! Sincerely, Harley. PS, I hope whichever parents you stole Richie from come and kill your ungrateful ass!"

Deathstroke whistled once Bruce finished, a red blush on his face. "Well, that was... very obviously a personal matter."

Bruce shivered, nodding his head in agreement. "I agree... I feel like I just read someone's diary," He explained, uncomfortable with having read such a personal letter. "But did you hear about that baby? His name was Richie. She must be talking about Richard!"

Deathstroke nodded, looking hopeful. "Which means he's still alive, and if we're lucky, in safe hands! Let's just hope Joker and his last few grunts don't try and go after her, or we'll never find Richard alive."

Bruce shook his head, smirking to himself. "I doubt Joker will go after her. Trust me when I say I know how that clown thinks; he only has a few teammates left, and by the sound of it, it seems like this Harley girl has some kind of back-up waiting for her, or else she never would have run for it. Seeing as we're not far from the border to Iowa... she might be making a dash for Michigan! I've heard rumors that the water there is being purified, not to mention that their cities are lasting longer. It's a good place to run to if you have nothing left to lose."

"Except she has our baby," Deathstroke muttered, looking infuriated at the mere thought of some mystery woman taking Richard away to Michigan. "Come on! We still have ground to cover!"

With a worried glance at Deathstroke's still aching legs, Bruce loyally followed behind the mercenary, following him outside and into the night.

* * *

Harley Quinn breathed uneasily as she walked into the small restaurant. She had hurried to Dixon as fast as possible, thankfully avoiding any unfortunate run-ins with any dangerous wildlife or thugs. The blonde carried Richard carefully, looking around the restaurant for Ivy. Soon enough, her blue eyes landed on long, bright orange hair that ran down to the owner's lower back. The young woman was gorgeous, though she had a sickly greenish skin tone to her, but otherwise most people at the diner's bar were staring at her with jealous/lustful eyes, wanting nothing more than to bed the young lady. Harley held back a squeal of excitement as she tapped the red-head on the shoulder, bouncing with glee behind her.

The red-head turned, and grinned as her eyes caught Harley's. "Har!" She shouted, reaching out to hug and pull the blonde close to herself, only to stop when she almost crushed Richard in-between, who she stared at with wide eyes. "Um... care to explain?" She requested.

Harley laughed uneasily, handing Richard to Ivy. "It's a... long story."

Ivy groaned, loudly, causing a few prying eyes to raise their eyebrows. They looked away quickly, however, as Ivy shot them a nasty glare. "Come on, it's not safe here." The red-head explained, taking Harley's hand in her's while she carried Richard with her free arm.

The two women hurried outside, hiding out behind the restaurant. "Alright, now tell me why you have a baby and where exactly it came from."

Harley smiled, nodding. "His name is Richard. Oh, Red, ya should've seen how Mister J was holding him up like some caught Molerat! It was awful! So, once he handed him off to me, I ran for it with him. I figured I may as well go out with a bang..."

Ivy sighed, shaking her head in defeat. "Harley, we can't just take a baby with us! We're gonna be hiding out over in Elgin, remember? Having a baby will attract unnecessary attention!"

"But, Red!" Harley practically whined, taking Richard from Ivy to hold against her chest. "We can't just leave 'em! What if... what if we found his parents? I mean, Mister J must've taken him from somebody! If we find 'em, then we can leave Richie with them and scram!"

"Well... alright, fine. But if we don't find them within the next three days, we're leaving him at the town orphanage!" Ivy explained, taking Harley's empty hand carefully. "Come on. I'm sure whoever owns him will come through this town; it's a hot spot for travelers."

* * *

"Why are we going back to Dixon!?" Deathstroke asked as Bruce led him through the front gates of the town. "I doubt that woman would come here."

"She might be meeting someone here, Slade," Bruce explained, looking around the crowd cautiously. The marketplace was alive and bustling noisily. "Come on, let's see if Barry's seen anyone come through with a baby recently."

The duo soon found Barry Allen's store. The red-head behind the counter shot up once he saw Bruce and Deathstroke, grinning happily at the two men. "Bruce! I thought I'd missed ya! When Shay told me that you'd left, I thought that was the last I'd see of ya!" He looked at Bruce carefully, noticing his and Deathstroke's empty arms. "Hey, where's your baby?"

Bruce sighed, looking defeated. "He was stolen by the Joker Gang," He explained, looking more and more hopeless as he spoke. "However, before we could get to his hideout and find him, his ex-girlfriend made off with Richard. We were hoping to find him here with whoever took him."

Barry hummed, nodding his head. "Ya know, I think I DID see two women with a baby a few minutes ago... they were heading towards the public bathrooms I think."

Bruce smirked, reaching over the counter to shake Barry's hand. "Thank you so much, Barry! Take care." He said, before running off with Deathstroke to track down the two women.

It wasn't long before they both made to the restrooms, nearly slamming into Harley and Ivy as they ran. "Ow, I-" Deathstroke stopped, ready to apologize, when his eye landed on Richard. "ROBIN!" He shouted, ready to snatch the baby from Ivy.

"Hey, back off, ya creep!" Ivy ordered, kneeing Deathstroke in the stomach, making the mercenary howl as she kicked him near a bullet wound.

"Please forgive him," Bruce begged, crouched over Deathstroke as the other man knelled on the ground, groaning in pain. "It's just that the Joker Gang stole our son, and a woman named Harley Quinn took him."

"You're Richie's Daddy's?" Harley asked, eyes widening as she recognized Bruce as one of Joker's favorite enemies. "Aw, I didn't know that Batsie was your Daddy, baby!" She cooed to Richard, who was making grabby hands at Bruce.

"Oh... sorry for kicking your husband," Ivy muttered, backing off as Deathstroke finally got to his feet once more, clutching his stomach in pain. "Here's your baby back." She handed Richard off to Bruce, who held him close to his chest.

"Thank God... I thought he would be dead by the time we found him," Bruce whispered, running his fingers through the tuft of raven hair on Richard's head, quietly soothing the baby. "Thank you so much for saving him."

"It's no problem. I'm just glad he found his family again!" Harley promised, grinning at Bruce. She suddenly ran at Deathstroke, hugging the mercenary around the waist. The man groaned, making Harley chuckle. "You take good care of him, okay big guy?"

"I think he's had enough, Har," Ivy warned, noticing how Deathstroke looked ready to fall over from his pain. "You two take care, alright? Life in the Wastes is even harder on gay couples like us!" She took Harley's hand, pressing a kiss to the blonde's cheek. "Good luck!"

As the two women left, Bruce blinked at Deathstroke, who had taken a seat on the ground. "I think you should see a doctor before we leave," He announced, receiving a nod from Deathstroke in agreement. "You know, I'm actually quite surprised that you didn't correct her when she referred to us as a homosexual couple, Slade."

Deathstroke groaned, shaking his head. "I'm too tired to complain..." He moaned, standing up on shaky legs. "I think I'm running out of adrenaline here... come on, let's go find that doctor's office." He practically begged, limping ahead of Bruce.

Bruce watched Deathstroke for a few moments, Richard in his arms. Now that he thought about it more, he hadn't corrected her either... oh well. It's not like he would forget again, right? He could pretend it bothered him next time. Next time...

"You coming!?" Deathstroke shouted, earning a few stares from a few citizens and travelers passing by. "It's not like I'm losing precious blood or anything like that!"

"I... yeah, I'm coming." Bruce replied, hurrying over to Deathstroke and following him into the crowd, appearing to others as just another Wastelander looking for a happy ending.

* * *

 **HIATUS**

 **A/N: Yo guys, I think I'm gonna put this fic on a Hiatus for awhile. I'm behind on my writing, and I'm trying to fit all of my ideas into the story-line, so I think I need a few months to write it all out. I'M NOT ABANDONING THIS FIC! I just need a break, 'kay? Sorry I didn't update for so long; I don't want any of you thinking I'm abandoning the fic. Please review/comment, I'd love to hear your ideas!**

 **~Supercasey.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Chapter 5: Seven Months Later**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **A/N:** _ ***Crashes through wall with an XBOX One controller in one hand and Fallout 4 in the other***_ **I RETURN! Please R &R!**

 **"Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next." ~Franklin P. Jones**

* * *

A dead leaf flew through the opening in the concrete, whistling into the sewer and down the sewer's corridor, the wilted plant falling into the sewage without a sound. It was crushed as a heavy foot fell upon it, the foots pace hurried as it's owner ran with meaningfulness through the sewer hallway. The foots owner was a tall, well-muscled man, looking to be in his late twenties to early thirties. He was covered head to toe in different armors, but the most outstanding piece was a Brotherhood of Steel helmet that covered his head, looking new and shiny compared to the dirty, mud-ridden clothing that covered the rest of his person.

Another pair of feet soon followed, turning the corner on the other side of the corridor to join the taller man. The man that had now appeared was short and young, but had enough muscle to pass off to be a reasonable enough threat if encountered. He also wore a helmet, one that would also attract attention in a place like Illinois. The helmet was an Enclave model, old, and had a dent or two to prove it. However, that wasn't the man's most striking item on his person. No, it was the small baby in his arms that was such a magnet for the eyes, looking to be about eight to nine months old.

Amazingly enough, the two men did not attack one another upon crossing paths. In fact, both men seemed to relax upon seeing each other, though it would've taken trained eyes to see it as such. The man carrying the baby stopped once he reached the taller man, holding out the baby to him. The other man took it, nodding in acceptance as he watched the Enclave wanderer pull off his helmet, revealing his face and head, with messy raven hair and bright russet eyes. He smiled as his helmet was removed, though he remained somewhat guarded, unsure if all of his enemies were truly gone for the time being.

"About time you showed up, Slade," The shorter man commented, running a gloved hand over his face, covered in a thick sheet of sweat that made him appear dirty and unkempt. "And here I was worried that you would never come."

"Not my fault I got held up, Bruce," Slade replied, casual. He peered down at the baby in his hands, running his index finger over one of it's cheeks, making the infant giggle with glee. "I see someone missed me. I told you I would come back, Robin."

"He cried for hours when you left," Bruce explained, voice almost appearing worried. "But he calmed down after awhile... did you get those coordinates?"

"Yeah," Slade muttered, holding Robin with one arm while the other used it's hand to dig into his satchel, pulling out a folded up piece of paper, along with a small package, wrapped in an old newspaper. "Here's your coordinates, Bruce. I also got you a little something."

Bruce, at first, appeared suspicious, but after a glance at Slade's helmet, he took the package and paper, pocketing the paper while he tore open the package. He practically glowed with joy once he saw what was inside. "You're an absolute gem, Deathstroke."

Slade beamed in secrecy, absorbing the praise. "You're welcome. I figured you could use it, after having the baby for two weeks on your own," He looked past Bruce, scrunching up his face in concentration and concern. "How was the trip over here? Were you followed?"

Bruce shrugged nonchalantly, unsure as he took a reasonable bite out of the gifted grilled Molerat from his partner. "I'm not sure. I ran most of the way. There's no chance in Hell that I'm taking even a Molerat on with Dickie with me," He suddenly brightened, eyeing the baby in Slade's arms. "Actually, I have a surprise for you too, Slade. Go on, Dickie. Say your word. Tell Deathstroke your first word."

Slade's eye widened as he looked down, meeting the baby's gaze. Despite all the staring and Bruce's persistence, Robin remained quiet, not even crying as he stared intently back at Slade, a blank expression on his face. "Oh well," Slade said, trying to hide the disappointment from his voice. "I suppose I'll hear it eventually... come on, let's get out of here before something finds us."

Bruce nodded in agreement, following after the mercenary as he led the way out of the sewer system. It took awhile, but soon enough they were back in the ruins of Chicago, climbing out of the sewer's entrance with tired footsteps. Both men were exhausted; Bruce from two weeks of taking care of Robin on his own, and Slade from surviving the wastes while looking for information on their next job. They shared a look, and they seemed to agree mentally that a night in a hotel would be preferable to a night in the Wastelands. Without a sound, Bruce clicked on his helmet, and together, they left to find shelter for the night.

* * *

"Enjoy your stay!" The woman called, before her voice was drowned out by the door being closed on the way inside.

The hotel room was small, but it had sturdy walls and a full roof over it. It would be enough for them. Without waiting for anyone's permission, Bruce unloaded what he had onto the room's small dining table, unzipping his bag and scattering his items over the table's surface. Deathstroke sat on the bed with Robin, since there were no chairs in the hotel room, and rocked the baby as Robin dozed in and out of sleep, tuckered out from a full day of adventuring. Bruce smiled behind his helmet at the domestic scene of Deathstroke caring for Robin, but made no outward comment on it as he reloaded and repaired his favored weapons, setting aside junk he didn't need anymore to sell to the bartender in the hotel in the morning.

The two Wastelanders were dead quiet as they worked individually, with Bruce working on his tools and Deathstroke, after Robin had fallen fast asleep, tucking the baby into the small, old, battered crib that had been left for them by the innkeeper in the bedroom. After Robin was tucked into bed, a teddy bear placed beside his head and a blanket keeping him warm, Deathstroke stood over Bruce's shoulder, watching the man work. Bruce, usually, would've been uncomfortable with someone watching him so closely, but Deathstroke had special privileges. After all, he had known him long enough to trust him by now. All was quiet, before Deathstroke picked the note he had given Bruce earlier up from off the table.

"Should we talk about our next move?" Deathstroke asked, looking at Bruce curiously. "We can sort through our things in the morning. Right now, we should figure out where to go next."

"I suppose you have a point..." Bruce agreed, though he looked unhappy to leave his things unsorted as he joined Deathstroke to sit on the bed, both men looking over the note together. "Let's see here... it looks like there's some guy called Lex Luthor a little ways away from here is asking for a few Wastelanders to move some supplies for him... think we could do that?"

"Well, it's not like we'll be clearing out any Raiders... I suppose we could do it, so long as the guy doesn't mind us bringing Robin along," Deathstroke explained, before suddenly taking Bruce's wrist, going for his Pip-Boy. "Here; I'll put in the coordinates for you on your Pip-Boy."

Bruce almost objected, but in the end couldn't summon up the nerves to. Instead, he went limp in Deathstroke's hold on him, quietly accepting the warm, strong grip of Deathstroke's right hand closed around his bony wrist, while his left hand tapped away on Bruce's Pip-Boy screen, typing in coordinates and setting a marker on their destination. It was strange, really, how Bruce didn't fight back or resist Deathstroke's help. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, going so far as to lean into his hired gun, biting his lip to keep in the sigh of relaxation and relief that was dying to leave his throat, that wanted to encourage this sort of behavior from Deathstroke. But he didn't. He just leaned against him, quiet, with his eyes half-lidded as he dozed.

He was knocked out of his stupor as Deathstroke pressed firm fingers into Bruce's wrist, rousing the young Vault-Dweller from his slumber. Bruce groaned, blinking as he met Deathstroke's one-eyed gaze, the mercenary looking concerned, even with his helmet on. Awkwardly, Bruce looked away after several seconds, coughing under his breath as he struggled to hide his blush, turning to stare at Robin, as to try and deny how clingy he had been just moments ago. Wordlessly, he stood back up, going back to sorting through his things on the table. Deathstroke remained on the bed, staring at Bruce, and it only made him feel more awkward, struggling not to squirm under his friend's steady gaze.

"Was that... okay?" Deathstroke asked, after another beat of silence passed. "I apologize if it wasn't..."

"No, it..." Bruce wasn't sure what he was trying to say. That he didn't want Deathstroke to stop? That he liked Deathstroke's surprisingly gentle touch? "It was fine. I just... warn me next time, if you can. I understand if we're in the middle of a fight, and you have to grab me to get me out of the way of gunfire. But when we're in private... just warn me, alright?"

Deathstroke paused, before nodding, still appearing regretful for his actions. "Understood, sir," He muttered, and all at once, Bruce felt guilty for making him believe that Bruce didn't like his presence or touch. "I'm going to bed. Wake me if anything happens. Goodnight." With that said, Deathstroke drifted off to sleep, breathing evening out as he passed out on the bed.

Bruce watched him for a few minutes, entranced, before shaking his head and continuing on his work. He needed to focus. There was no time to fret over his own feelings. Bruce glanced at Robin, the baby asleep in his crib, and he sighed, looking almost... afraid. He had to focus. He had to protect his people... for him.

* * *

When Deathstroke awoke, he was more than a bit surprised to find Bruce fast asleep on the floor, curled up next to Robin's crib. Without a sound, Deathstroke rose from the bed, walking over to scoop Bruce up from off the floor, surprised by how much lighter he felt. Bruce must've been skipping meals while he was gone, Deathstroke reasoned, carrying Bruce back to the hotel's single bed. He set Bruce down gently, ruffling his employer's raven curls before leaving a note on the door, walking out of the hotel room. The note was left for Bruce to explain that Deathstroke would be at the hotel's bar if he was needed, and to come join him for breakfast with Robin once he was ready.

Sleepy still, Deathstroke's movements were slow as he walked into the hotel's bar room, the room already crowded with early-birds who were hoping to be gone before noon. Deathstroke sat heavily at the bar, ordering for himself a Nuka-Cola and some Mirlurk soup for breakfast. He ate in silence, observing the other patrons as he prepared himself for the day ahead. He watched the people nearby, watched how they talked and chattered and drank the morning away. There was a good chance that at least one of them would die today, and it pained Deathstroke all the more, because it seemed like they knew it. So they were enjoying the moment while they could. Before they would die.

"Morning." A voice suddenly murmured, causing Deathstroke to turn and look at Bruce, who had Robin cradled protectively in his arms, the baby squirming irritably.

It took all of Deathstroke's will-power not to snort with laughter as Bruce took a seat beside him at the bar, the shorter man looking worn out and tired. Bruce's raven locks were an absolute mess, his bed-head prominent as he shifted on the bar stool, ordering himself a bowl of cereal and a bottle of milk for Robin. The family ate in silence, with Bruce feeding Robin his bottle with one hand, while the other shoveled cereal into his awaiting mouth. By the way Bruce was cringing with each bite, Deathstroke guessed that the food tasted awful, but Bruce was nothing if not resilient and stubborn, so he made no complaints as he chewed and swallowed, too hungry to care that the cereal tasted worse than raw Bloatfly meat.

"You alright, Bruce?" Deathstroke questioned, noticing that Bruce looked very close to barfing all over the bar's counter top. "You getting sick on me?"

"Shut up," Bruce ordered, but it had no energy to it, his body too weak from the Rads he was unfortunately piling into it. "I'm fine, thank you very much. I can handle a few Rads."

"No, I can handle Rads just fine," Deathstroke corrected, voice stern and commanding. "You, on the other hand, were raised for most of your life underground, away from Rad Poisoning. Stop eating that shit if it's making you sick, Bruce. We'll get something else on the way."

"I'm fine, Slade," Bruce, again, insisted, but he didn't sound so sure anymore. His incoming Rad Poisoning was giving him a headache. "I can handle myself just fine."

With a sigh of frustration, Deathstroke dug into his own satchel, pulling out a small, red bag labeled 'Rad-Away' attached to a long tube, with a small needle on the end. He flicked the needle, eyeing how Bruce instinctively flinched away from the sharp object. "If you're so intent on poisoning yourself... then I'm going to cure you, before you get yourself AND Robin killed."

"You wouldn't..." Bruce growled. Deathstroke knew all too well how much Bruce hated needles, so he figured Deathstroke wouldn't DARE stick him with one.

"Oh, I would. If not for you, then for me and Robin. I'm not about to carry TWO vomiting babies through the Wastelands," Deathstroke explained, readying the large needle. "Hold still, Bruce... this won't hurt a bit."

Bruce bit back a whine, not wanting to appear even more childish in front of Deathstroke. With a swallow, he obediently allowed Deathstroke to grab his arm. Again, Deathstroke's grip was warm and firm, causing butterflies to flutter through Bruce's stomach, almost as if Deathstroke's touch comforted him... he supposed it must have. Robin, meanwhile, was quiet, abandoning his bottle in favor of staring curiously up at Bruce, eyeing his father suspiciously. Bruce, noticing his son's stare, flashed the baby a small smile, using Robin's gleaming eyes as a distraction as Deathstroke poked the needle into his arm, drawing a long, pained hiss from Bruce as the Rad-Away creeped into his blood stream, slowly but surely cursing him.

"There," Deathstroke announced, after the Rad-Away had drained out into Bruce. He quickly pulled out the needle, patting Bruce's arm as the Wastelander breathed uneasily. "You feeling better yet?"

As much as Bruce hated to admit it, he honestly did feel a lot better as the medicine kicked in, eliminating the Rads in his system. He nodded, after awhile, and this time, he flashed Deathstroke a smile, though it looked hesitant and tired. "I do, actually... thank you."

Deathstroke hummed in appreciation, tossing the used Rad-Away into a nearby, dented, old garbage can. "You're welcome. Now come on. We have cargo to move."

With a nod, Bruce stood and followed, after paying for his and Robin's breakfasts of course. Together, both Wastelanders checked out of the hotel and left the town, once again heading off on another, surely dangerous adventure in the Wastelands of Illinois.

* * *

 **A/N: And there we go! I hope you all liked this latest installment of the AU! I tried to add in more Batstroke this time around, so hopefully no one will mind. I'm sorry, it's my guilty OTP! Please R &R, it would make me so happy!**

 **~Supercasey.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Fallout: Gotham**

 **Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.**

 **Chapter 6: Harmony the Deathclaw**

 **Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?**

 **"I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring." ~Liz Armbruster**

* * *

"Jesus Christ," It was Deathstroke who whispered it, staring up at the huge, dangerous Deathclaw, which was chained heavily to a telephone pole, with little room to attack or move. "Who even manages to catch one of these bastards and LIVE?"

"Personally, I'd rather not know. And watch your language!" Bruce snapped, patting Richard's head thoughtfully. "I'd rather our child not learn to cuss at such a young age..."

"Why not!? I think it would be perfect; a man should learn at an early age how to properly address his enemies!" Deathstroke explained, not nearly as concerned for the baby's future vocabulary.

"Are you two gentlemen here about the job?"

Both men jumped, swinging around to stare at a very tall, very intimidating businessman with a fine pressed suit and razor green eyes. "Hello, I'm Lex Luthor. I'm the man who sent out the call for any local mercenary's. I see you two have both met Harmony here." The tall man said, smiling and nodding towards the Deathclaw.

Deathstroke just stared at Luthor, absolutely astonished. "Harmony!?" He repeated, floored by the fact that the Deathclaw was given a name, much less such an innocent and sweet sounding one. "Why in God's name is it called-"

"-And what a lovely name for such a lovely pet," Bruce practically chirped, slapping a hand over Deathstroke's mask to shut him up. "I'm the man in charge of our little group. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Luthor," He took Luthor's hand, shaking it calmly. "My name is Bruce Wayne, and this is my partner Deathstroke," He nodded his head in Deathstroke's direction, earning a nod from Lex. "And the baby strapped to my chest here is Richard. He's our son."

"I see..." Luthor muttered, smiling down at the infant, who smiled back, making little gurgling noises at the businessman. "How cute. However, I have no intentions for this mission to be 'cute', Mr. Wayne."

"Of course. My apologizes. You see, the mother to Richard died after his birth and, well, we have no one to keep him with during this mission. Don't worry though, we have everything under control in any battle situation. We've been surviving with Dickie around for almost a year now," Bruce assured the businessman, giving him a warm, confident smile. "We're all business when it comes to a job."

"That's exactly what I need... as well as, of course, some skills with... unusual cargo," Luthor signaled to Harmony, who was sitting down in a rather docile position on the ground, head cocked at the two strangers and her master. "As you can see, Harmony is my beloved pet, and I am moving bases very soon. Unfortunately, moving a Deathclaw as well as myself is problematic for my people. They cannot focus on both protecting me and keeping Harmony under control at the same time. That is why I need a mercenary- preferably more than one- to transport Harmony to my base across the Wastes."

Deathstroke and Bruce shared a look. "Can you give us a moment to decide?" Bruce asked, glancing from Harmony, to Richard, and then to Luthor. "As you can imagine, it's a hard decision to make, considering we have a child with us."

Luthor nodded, giving the odd-jobbers a knowing look. "I completely understand, however, the pay is very high compared to your usual run-of-the-mill missions, and I'm sure that having a child is very expensive. I'd give that some thought, gentlemen."

As Luthor walked away, giving them time to think and talk, Deathstroke turned to Bruce, eye full of deep concern, both for Robin and Bruce. "This spells out trouble, Bruce," He warned, not trusting Luthor for even a second. "What kind of lunatic has a Deathclaw of all things for a lap dog!? I don't trust this guy. It's not worth it."

"We need more caps, Slade," Bruce reminded the mercenary, giving the baby a scared look. "We've hardly had the caps to pay for meals and supplies, not to mention that we're almost out of breast milk! We need to get some more income, especially if we're going to be starting Dickie out on harder foods soon. I know it's dangerous, and I don't trust Luthor anymore than you do, but trust ME when I say that I know what I'm doing. Just... let me sort this out, alright?"

"... Alright," Deathstroke agreed, huffing loudly at the thought of his employer accepting such a dangerous job. "But remember, it's not just our lives at stake here: Robin doesn't stand a chance against any creatures of the Wastes, much less a Deathclaw."

"I know," Bruce promised, breathing uneasily as he approached Luthor, his stomach twisting at the thought of what he was about to do. "... Mr. Luthor? I, er, WE have come to a decision."

Luthor brightened, turning around to face Bruce. "I do hope it is the right choice, Mr. Wayne. You and your husband have best thought this all out before coming to me."

"HUSBAND!?" Deathstroke spat out, earning a giggle-fit from Robin. "What in God's name makes you think I'd marry such a sarcastic pri-"

"-We'll take the job." Bruce hurriedly promised, not wanting Deathstroke to finish his sentence and very well ruin their latest job offer.

"Excellent choice, Mr. Wayne," Luthor praised, nodding to one of his guards. "Go unchain Harmony, and make it snappy. These men need to be out before nightfall... I would hate for any fellow Deathclaws to harm my dear pet."

The guard, hesitant at first, very slowly made his way towards the chained up Deathclaw, the monster making low, growling sounds as it glared daggers at the security guard. In the end, the guard had no choice but to undo the chain around the telephone pole, careful as a cat stalking its prey as he tied a sturdy looking leash around the Deathclaw's collar, leading it with shaky steps towards Bruce and Deathstroke. More brave than the guard, Deathstroke, without a hint of hesitation, took the leash from the guard and pulled the Deathclaw to stand beside him, the beast towering around two to three feet taller than the mercenary. Bruce kept glancing fearfully at Harmony, arms wrapping around his torso in an attempt to hide Robin from the monster's view.

Luthor chuckled, amused by both men's reactions. "I see you two have everything under control. I wish you both the best of luck!" He turned to Harmony, the Deathclaw letting out a low-key, purr-like sound as the businessman bravely scratched behind its horns. "You be a good girl, understand?" The Deathclaw nodded, and Luthor left her in order to refocus his attention on Bruce. "I and my men will meet you in Breese. If you somehow lose Harmony or she dies… I suggest running, though it will do you little good."

Bruce swallowed, nodding hesitantly at the much richer Wastelander. "You have our word, Mr. Luthor. I can assure you that I and my partner have this under control. We'll see you at the rendezvous point. Until then, good luck to you and your men."

With that all said and done, Luthor retreated to a surprisingly well-tended to caravan. He and his men soon disappeared out the gates of the abandoned facility, leaving Bruce, Deathstroke, and Robin to deal with Harmony. Dick seemed intrigued by the huge, scary beast, reaching out and making grabby hands at the Deathclaw. Curious of the tiny human, Harmony sniffed at Dick, ready to approach the infant, only for Deathstroke to yank on her leash, making the radiated beast growl and hiss as the fiery burn hit its neck and throat. Deathstroke glared behind his mask at the formidable Deathclaw, locking eyes with the monster as both beings had a short stand-off.

"The baby is off-limits," Deathstroke deadpanned, not at all amused by the abomination's curiosity towards his and Bruce's child. "If you want something to eat, you wait until we feed you. Simple as that."

Harmony growled again, turning from Deathstroke's gaze to meet Robin's sea-blue one, preferring the child to it's foster father. Finally, the Deathclaw huffed and turned away, making Bruce sigh with relief as the attention of the Deathclaw was turned away from his baby. The last thing he wanted was for his kid to become monster food. After they were certain Dick didn't need to be fed or changed, the two Wastelanders set out for the nearest town, hoping against hope that nothing would go wrong… aw, what were they thinking? Nothing ever went to plan; they figured it was only a matter of time before shit hit the fan and something horrible happened. They could only hope it wouldn't result in anyone's death, specifically Robin's.

* * *

As the two Wastelanders, their baby, and their Deathclaw finally reached town, they weren't as surprised as one might've thought at the reaction they got, considering most of the local townsfolk already knew Lex Luthor had a Deathclaw. As soon as they hit the marketplace, people went running, terrified of the chained up Deathclaw. Even without Harmony, they were a sight to be seen, with Deathstroke being so tall, Bruce wearing an Enclave helmet, and them having a baby, they definitely stood out among the crowd. Deathstroke, in the end, mainly because he overheard some security guards getting suspicious and feared for Dick's safety, stayed by the front gate of the town with Harmony, unintentionally scaring away any Wastelanders outside of the town.

This left Bruce with some elbow room to move about and buy supplies, while at the same time leaving less people staring at him. However, thanks to Richard, he had a whole new crowd following him around… mothers. It seemed that Benton had far more mothers than any towns Bruce had been in before with Dick, and due to this, Bruce soon had twelve to thirteen mothers following him around the marketplace, critical eyes judging him as he made each and every purchase. It didn't matter if they seemed harmless and were a lot less evil than Raiders, Bruce still felt their eyes did all the torturing Raiders could never achieve. Each time he heard one tisk, huff, or disappointed sigh pointed at him, Bruce felt obligated to place whatever he was holding back, resulting in him having to give up on buying any ammunition.

"*tisk* What is he thinking?" One lady asked, just in earshot of Bruce as he inspected a seemingly ordinary box of cloth diapers. "Does he even realize how crummy that quality is?" Bruce put the box back, shivering under the group of mother's stares. "Oh thank God… if he doesn't get Pampers Deluxe, I don't know what that poor baby'll do."

Careful to make sure they were watching, Bruce grabbed the diaper product the woman had suggested, stuffing it securely into the shopping basket he had with him. This earned a few hums of approval from the mom squad. "Oh, Debby, just look at him! Oh, he's so cute… I wonder if his little one is a boy or a girl?" A lady asked, making Bruce stiffen, knowing they were staring at Richard. "Do you think one of us should ask?"

A slightly older woman scoffed, and Bruce supposed she was Debby. "Heavens, no! Oh, Helen, that poor man is probably shy, he keeps squirming! Not to mention, his wife probably isn't around if HE'S out shopping for her!"

Helen sighed, nodding her head in agreement. "I suppose so. Poor baby, doesn't even have a mommy to take care of him… did you see that mercenary looking guy by the way, the one with the Deathclaw? I heard that he and that poor man are married!"

The entire group of women gasped, and Bruce wanted nothing more than to repeatedly slam his head into a wall, preferably one with nails sticking out of it. "Helen, where did you even hear such a ridiculous story? … Although, it would make sense. He does look a little, how do I put it… gay?" Once again, the women all gasped, making an audible groan leave Bruce's throat. "I mean, look at him, Debby! He has it written all over him!"

Just as Bruce was about ready to kill himself- or make a run for it out of overwhelming embarrassment- someone else in the marketplace stood up for his and Robin's well-being. "Hey, leave him alone! He can hear you, just like everyone else in this market!" A woman pointed out, who Bruce found sounded oddly familiar. "Why is it wrong to be gay anyhow?"

Debby laughed, like she heard that particular question all the time. "Oh sweetie, it's just not in God's nature to birth us broken! Don't tell me YOU'RE gay, dearie? You just haven't met the right man yet, that's all."

The woman who'd stood up for Bruce looked irate, and her name hit him like a truck. Diana Prince, one of the kids from his old Vault. But how in God's name had she made it all the way out here!? He had figured that all of the survivors were in Dixon. "And what if I am? What would you do about it?"

Debby and her group scoffed, baffled by Diana's obvious aggression. "Well! I never! Come, ladies. It's obvious that this woman is nothing but an atheist!" She led them off, allowing Bruce to breathe easier.

Before he could even approach his rescuer, Diana was beside Bruce, eyes growing to the size of dinner plates as she too realized who she had just defended. "Bruce!?" She asked, amazed by who she had ran into in such a faraway place from her home Vault. "What in Hera has brought you to Benton of all places!?"

Bruce sighed, looking from Diana to Robin, who seemed intrigued by the newly met woman. "It's… a long story." He sighed, swallowing around a lump in his throat.

* * *

 **A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Also, warning for next chapter: I'm planing on starting it out with a flashback from when Bruce was just a little kid growing up in his Vault. Please R &R, it would mean a lot to me!**

 **~Supercasey.**


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